The Story
by Laser Lance 720
Summary: Rita Skeeter was looking for her big break. Her chance to really become a reporter. A real reporter, not some Witch Weekly journalist. Gilderoy Lockhart was not going to provide her that. Or was he?


**Battlefield** ( _Characters_ : Rita Skeeter, Gilderoy Lockhart, _Prompts_ : (word) house, (word) money, (Dialogue) "Don't you try and stop me")

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that deals or relates to Harry Potter.

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She'd read all about him beforehand. After all, Rita was always prepared before going into an interview. Especially when she would be speaking with the Great Gilderoy Lockhart. Oh, and was he great.

No sooner than he sat down across from her, did he begin his spiel. A dumber girl might have fallen for it, but not Rita. Swirling the cloudy wine in her glass – couldn't he have picked a better restaurant to meet in – she kept the look of frustration from entering into her gaze.

"The man was so grateful for me dealing with his little werewolf problem," Lockhart was still talking, "he practically tried to marry his daughter off to me. Now don't get me wrong, she was a gorgeous girl. But there was this mole on her chin. I just couldn't overlook the thing. I'm sure it was some kind of disease. I offered to look at it for them. After all, I've had to learn a thing or two about the medical field. What with my dangerous profession and all. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but even the Healers of St. Mungo's have been known to contact me for a second opinion from time to-"

"Thank you Mr. Lockhart," Rita scribbled down the last few notes, and gathered up her bag. "I believe that I have enough for my article."

"Are you sure?" Gilderoy asked, his perfectly trimmed eyebrow rising into his golden hair. "I haven't told you about my battle with the Vanbroken Vampire."

"Another time Mr. Lockhart," Rita drew her bag close to her, her notes and quill inside. "I'm afraid I must be going none. Good day sir. I will let you know what the article is out. Good day."

She left the quiet restaurant. Once outside, she allowed the frown to set into her lips.

-oOo-

The Witch Weekly office was bustling with reporters. Setting down at her desk, Rita scoffed at the word _reporter_. All these girls ever reported on was who had the cutest smile, which witch was where what, and who was sleeping with whom. It was enough to infuriate Rita.

She didn't plan on writing this trivial nonsense for the rest of her life. No, Rita was going to be a real reporter. She was going to write real news. She just needed this start off to begin her career. She was only here for the money and the experience.

Setting her work on Lockhart onto her desk, she dropped down into her chair. There were several articles detailing his work on her desk for references. Each one she read seemed more ridicule than the last. After meeting with the man, she doubted he could have done any of the things he claimed he did.

"Hello Skeeter." A too cheery voice greeted her. Standing in front of her desk, was Alicia Grana – one of the airheads who actually wanted to work here. She was smiling, and holding a package of papers against her chest. "Is it true you've got the Gilderoy Lockhart article? I'm jealous. Is he as adorable in person?"

"Yes," Rita forced a smile. "Adorable. Do you have my replies?"

"Oh yes." Alicia drew some of the pages from the ones she held. She laid them on Rita's desk. "Good luck. Although why you would want to work at the Daily Prophet is beyond me. It seems so boring there."

"Thank you," Rita said, taking the papers. "Don't you have anything to be working on?"

"I do," Alicia smiled like what she was saying was some great thing. "You'll never guess who gets to cover the Malfoy wedding? Me. I can't wait to see Malfoy Manor all done up for this wedding. Apparently Lucius Malfoy bought his soon to be wife a set of peacocks that run freely around the house. I am so excited to be doing this wedding article. Isn't it fabulous, Rita?"

"Congratulations." Rita tore open her package, no longer paying the other woman mind. Realizing she was getting the attention she wanted, Alicia left. Rita wasn't going to complain.

Pulling the papers out, Rita read through quickly.

Dear Ms. Skeeter,  
We, at the Daily Prophet, would like to thank you for your interest in working with our news firm. Upon reading your resume and sheet, we are delighted to say that you show great potential. However, you still lack in the necessary experience needed in working with our paper. The Daily Prophet is a serious paper, and you do not qualify with the type of writing we pride ourselves in. As well, the position you requested has already been filled. Please, apply again upon the next opening.  
Jerry Mapinder  
Daily Prophet Editor

Rita held the page in her hand. Her hands shook, the papers crinkling as she crumbled it into a ball. Throwing it onto her desk, she repressed the urge to scream and set it alight. Instead, her eyes landed on the stack of articles written about that doe eyed, arrogant Gilderoy Lockhart.

Not a real reporter. She'd show them.

Spreading her notes across her desk, she began to scan through them and compare them to the others. She had a feeling there was something here. She would find it. And then no one could claim that Rita Skeeter wasn't a real reporter.

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"Hello Ms. Skeeter," Gilderoy smiled as she sat across from him. They were in a small café this time. He had a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. She had a warm cup of chocolate. "I hope the article is going well. Do you need more quotes from me? I'm happy to give."

"I know your secret," Rita prompted. She smirked at the look of concern that flashed through the man's perfect features.

"And what would that be?" Lockhart had that fake smile plastered onto his face. "The secret behind my dazzling smile. Or my glorious locks. Or my-"

"False stories," Rita finished. "I don't know how exactly you have been pulling all this off, but I know there is fraud in your stories."

Lockhart laughed. "I assure you Ms. Skeeter, everything I have told you is true."

Rita pulled out a pad of parchment and slid it towards him. "Here is a written account by Mr. Nockerturn, the man you claimed to have saved with the Vanbroken Vampire incident. I must say, that was an extremely powerful memory charm. Now what was I to think, when one of the great cases which started your career, turned out to be built on a lie? I started to wonder, what else was a lie?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Lockhart tried to play it cool, but his perfect smile was faltering. "And you have no proof."

Rita snatched the pad of parchment back, flipping a few pages in. "I have all the proof I need. This testimony will tear down everything you have built Mr. Lockhart. I have it all right here. And I plan on taking it public. Gilderoy Lockhart, Wizard Heartthrob, a liar and a cheat. Story by Rita Skeeter."

"So that's what this is about?" Gilderoy laughed, leaning back in his chair. A wicked smile was on his lips. "Your fifteen minutes of fame. I thought better of you Skeeter. For a moment, I thought you to be a real reporter."

"I am a real reporter," Rita said with a sneer. She leaned towards him. "I will go public with my findings. I will make your little scandal known. I will get a job at the Daily Prophet and I will become a reporter. Don't you try and stop me."

"I won't." Lockhart held up his hands. "Go public, but I assure you those baseless claims will get you nowhere."

"Maybe," Rita said, slipping her pad into her bag and standing. "You might even get away with it. Either way, people will still question about rather or not the great Lockhart really did what he did. And when they do, the name Rita Skeeter will be on everyone's lips."

She turned, marching her way from the café. Stepping into the nearly empty street, Rita felt a moment of triumph. Before she could step onto the cobblestone road, a hand grasped her arm and she was apparated away. Regaining her footing, Rita found herself standing inside a cluttered front room. She turned at the blonde standing behind her.

"This is kidnap," she growled. "Don't think this will stop me."

"How about a deal?" He asked. Away from the gazing eye of the public, he wasn't bothering to shove the fake smile and twinkle into his eye. Instead he looked frantic. Rita had to admit she liked seeing him like this.

"Nothing you can offer me," Rita took a step towards him, "will stop me from going public."

"What's the chance this will get you your big break with the Daily Prophet?" There was a smirk on Lockhart's lips. "What's to stop them from seeing you as just another Witch Weekly writer, trying to make her name?"

"Fuck you," Rita spat.

"I have a cousin who works in the Daily Prophet," Lockhart said. "He gets me front page coverage any time I want. Not that I need to pull strings. The papers are practically falling over each other to get my face on their pages."

"They won't after I'm done with you."

"I can get you a place in the paper. I can get you your own column. Anything. All you have to do, is drop your slander against me."

"Slander?" Rita's brow rose. "I do not write slander. I write the truth. I have always written the truth."

"Any column you want," Lockhart said. "You can write whatever you want."

"You want to bribe me. How little do you think I think of myself?"

"It's your choice. You either can take my offer, or don't. But I promise you Mrs. Skeeter," he was speaking once more with that charming quality that made girls faint, "if you go against me, I can assure you you'll lose. And I doubt you'll be able to get that job you want after the famous Gilderoy Lockhart blacklists you."

Rita frowned at him. She knew what he was saying. She knew the risks. But she had the truth in her bag. She had the truth that no one else had. The truth no one else would open their eyes and see. She had it all, and she wanted to spread that truth. But she didn't have the means. What the use of being a real reporter, without a real paper to back you?

"So what?" Rita frowned at him. "I stop and you continue to live those lies."

"And you get to be a real reporter." Lockhart smiled at her with that twinkling grin. "It's a win, win. I believe this deal is in both of our interests. So what do you say, Ms. Skeeter. Ready for the big time?"

Rita eyed him in distrust and anger. She held a hand onto the bag containing her notes. This was not how she saw her career beginning. But she had to admit, Lockhart had a pretty good offer. Besides, she couldn't go in on this alone. If she wanted to work for a real paper, if she wanted to be a real reporter, to give the real truth, she needed a little headway.

Besides, what was covering up one lie, when she could spend the rest of her life uncovering other lies?

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 _In the entire book series, there was just a handful of characters that I detested on a person level. These two, are in the top five. So it was interesting getting to work with them. Especially since they are so similar. Both spin lies and false truths, and believe themselves to be this great thing. Both use similar tactics to get what they want. They are so alike._

 _It's not hard to imagine them having some sort of history. Although, I can't imagine it being a loving and kind one. Both of these characters seem so self-centered and self-involved to really commit to one another. Then again, this might be a working relationship had they gotten together. Who knows?_

 _Either way, fun to write. Hope you guys enjoyed._


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